What do you want to eat for breakfast? Do you want to bring or buy lunch? Is your folder in your backpack? Did you brush your teeth? Where are your shoes? Do you have your jacket? Did you finish your vitamins? Hurry, hurry! Lets goooooooooooooooo!
If you are a mom, you know that every single morning it feels like a marathon to just get out of the front door with kids. While I am still trying so hard to master the concept of a relaxed and non-chaotic morning (does it exist?), I have figured out a few things along the way that help my family simplify our morning rush.
Say yes. My son wants to watch a little bit of TV every morning when he wakes up and I have no problem with this (no judgment, please). I think of it as his coffee and what he needs to help him wake up and get going. After giving him his allotted screen time, I shut it off and he is much more willing to eat and get dressed. Sometimes (if I am feeling like a pinterest-y mom) I bring out art supplies (nothing fancy, just colored pencils and paper) and let him draw before eating breakfast.
Do as much as I can the night before. I have outfits laid out, shoes placed near the clothes, backpacks packed and everything I need in the morning ready to go so I have less to do at 6am. (I even pre-load my Keurig pod and coffee cup.) I write down the school lunch selections for the week on my chalkboard on Sunday so I can refer to them every morning when I ask if he wants to bring or buy that day. Keeping it as easy as possible for myself cuts down on rushing around and feeling stressed.
Give everyone enough time. I wake my son up a full hour before we need to leave because I know he is extremely slow in the mornings. He also gets to bed at a normal time every school night to prevent too much fuss in the morning. I know he needs 20 or so minutes to get warmed up to the idea of even eating breakfast and I have also allowed myself time to wake up and have my coffee.
Use a timer. I often use the microwave timer in the mornings to help get my kids move from one activity to the next. I will let them know “I am going to set this for 5 minutes so you can finish your breakfast but when it beeps you need to brush your teeth and get dressed.” Or “You have 5 minutes left to get dressed or else we will have to drive to school instead of riding bikes.” It does create a small sense of urgency for them and helps me move things along.
Walk and get fresh air. We are lucky enough to live within walking distance from school. When we are fed, dressed, and ready to go on time, we will walk/ride bikes. My son loves being able to ride his bike to school and I find getting fresh air and exercise puts everyone in a much better mood.
Music, music, music. I often put on music to help the morning mood. It automatically gives the entire house a relaxed vibe and let’s be honest – no one can be mad if they are singing or dancing.
My #1 tip for helping the morning run smoothly: get up before your children. Seriously, I have done this for years and it helps me deal with the chaos more than anything. I wake up at least a half hour before my kids to have coffee and read a book. It helps me get into the right frame of mind for the day and I feel like I have had some “me” time before I have to meet so many little needs. It has helped me be much more patient with the kids and given my caffeine time to kick in.
What are your secrets for the surviving the morning hustle?
, I have figured out a few things along the way that help my family simplify our morning rush.){kind=link}